First gentleman Denga Ndaitwah officially launched the Denga Epaphras Ndaitwah (DEN) Impact Foundation to address growing social and educational challenges facing young men and boys in Windhoek on Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch, Ndaitwah credited the creative industry for the name and outlined the core mission of the foundation.
“While the ceremonial role carries no formal government budget, it holds a clear moral duty to step up for vulnerable communities,” he said.
He said the initiative directly addresses stark educational disparities highlighted by recent findings from the University of Namibia (Unam).
The presentation data shared by Faustina Neshila of the university research team revealed that female students dominate 2026 graduation figures across the country’s major institutions: making up 64.6% of graduates at Unam, 59.9% at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, and 73.3% at the International University of Management.
Warning that an increasing number of young men are dropping out of education and drifting into crime, Ndaitwah called for an urgent “paradigm shift” to stop idle minds from slipping through the cracks. However, he stresses that supporting young men should never mean scaling back progress for young women.
“We stand for boys, not in opposition to girls, but as a partner in shared progress,” Ndaitwah stated, describing the foundation’s goal as a balancing act to ensure both sexes rise together.
Echoing this message, prime minister Elijah Ngurare speaking at the event reassured the public that the new foundation would complement existing support for girls.
“Let boys feel included and feel seen,” Ngurare said, encouraging young men to re-engage with education and agriculture.
